A TRAP FOR CATHERINE #6
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  Fire in the Valley... 1436
 

Although Arnaud de Montsalvy had promised his wife Catherine to accompany him if he was ordered to return to the war to free France from the English, he did not seem unhappy when she caught a cold shortly before his departure. He wanted her to be safe at Montsalvy... ...and when the king calls, a true knight must do his duty...!


The king recalls his knights to Paris...




Château of Montsalvy
Xaintrailles, Arnaud de Montsalvy & La Hire



 

Two months had passed since Arnaud de Montsalvy had gone with his entourage to Paris. It was now the turn of the lady of Montsalvy to make a daily check around their land. As always, she was accompanied by Josse Rallard, whom Arnaud had left in Montsalvy because he was the best warrior of his people and he entrusted Catherine, his children and all of Montsalvy to him.
But that morning they saw fires in the valley and discovered that the mercenaries'Apchiers' were in the valley. Among them they discovered one of the inhabitants of Montsalvy who must have betrayed them. They returned to the castle as quickly as possible shouting: "Close the gates, we are being besieged".



 

Catherine explained to 'Abbot Bernard Calmont d'Olt', (coseigneur of Montsalvy) that she had recognised the banner of the Apchiers. The abbot suspects that the Apchiers, called 'the wolf of the Gévaudan', must have gotten very jealous after he had been invited to the baptism of little Isabelle and thought it a good opportunity to lay siege to the town while their Master was away and blunder the castle...



 

But then the real villain appears, the enemy of the Montsalvy, the Spanish mercenary 'Rodrigo Villandrando'. When asked what he was doing here, he complacently replies that Arnaud is not here and that she needs a protector. Catherine just stares at him. He tells her that she should not be so arrogant, that she does not know if the lord of Montsalvy will ever return home...! But when she wants to know what he is talking about, he replies that he has 'a 'foreboding'... Catherine slaps him and chases him out of the Great hall...
During the night, one of the monks, Brother Amable is sent through a secret passage to get help...


 

Catherine's young page, 'Bérenger de Roquemaurel,' who is training to become a knight in Arnaud's household, has disappeared. While visiting his young cousin with whom the boy is secretly in love, he had to take a diversion to return back to Montsalvy because of the siege. It was Beranger who delivered the terrible news: the messenger had been hanged...Someone in the castle or the village must be a traitor...!


 

While Catherine went to the village, she hears 'Gauberte Cairou' arguing with 'Azalaïs', the young lace-maker who was called « the belle of the village ». The young girl thinks that everything is the fault of the Lady of Montsalvy. All d'Apchier wanted was the gold and the mistress in his bed...! she had but a few men to protect her, and in any case, the 'Lord Arnaud' would not return home!

Catherine was reflecting on what the girl said. She reminded her of 'Marie Comborn' and 'Princess Zobeïda' the two women who were madly in love with her husband...
That evening, 'Marie Rallard' promised to set a trap for Azalaïs... perhaps then they would discover who the traitor was in Montsalvy. The next day she told Azalaïs that in the night a new messenger would be sent for help... In agreement with Josse, Fortunat, Arnaud's faithful squire went to the underground late at night...!


 

Josse and his men manage to subdue the young Montsalvyian 'Gervais Malfrat' and take him straight to the torture chamber, which had never been used in the new castle so far! It turns out that Azalaïs is in fact the traitor whose lover Gervais has become.
Under the threat of torture, he confesses that someone is on his way to Paris with a forged letter from Azalaïs and one of Catherine's finest undergarments. The aim is to convince the master that Catherine has let the Spanish mercenary 'Rodrigo Villandrado' into the castle to become his mistress. And not enough, on the way back, this messenger would poison Arnaud....! Catherine faints from shock....


 

Abbot Bernard implored Catherine to ride as fast as possible to Paris in order to arrive at Arnaud's in time before the perfidious trap of Captain Rodrigo Villandrando was unleashed.
The abbot knew how irascible and jealous the lord of Montsalvy can be... Sara, Marie and the children would go secretly to Carlat to  countess' Elénore' in order not to be taken hostages if the town was taken. Only her page Bérenger de Roquemaurel should accompany her. He gives her a letter which she must deliver to Arnaud as soon as she meets him...


 

Sara wants to go with Catherine, but Catherine wishes her to stay with her son Michel and her daughter, little Isabelle in case something were to happen to Catherine...
Catherine has no choice but to disguise herself again as a man and rushes off to Paris with her page in the hope of arriving in time... !
On the way, they hear the news that Paris is finally free of the English and that Constable 'Arthur de Richemont' has arrived in Paris... .

 


 

After many detours, Catherine and her page finally reach Paris. As they enter the city, she meets by change 'Tristan L'Hermite' her friend from the time when 'Georges de la Trémoille' was overthrown in Chinon. He is happy to see Catherine but seems to avoid her at first. Yet when she insists on being taken to Arnaud, he tells her that the 'Count de Montsalvy' has been arrested and imprisoned in the Bastille. Where death awaits him...!


 

Tristan l-Hermite who has become provost (in charge of all the military police in the King's army). He takes Catherine and Béranger to the Hôtel de l'Aigle where he wants to explain everything to her over dinner. As fate would have it, Catherine finds her former squire 'Gauthier de Chazay', who had returned to Paris to continue his studies at the Sorbonne, but who is not very happy. Catherine is delighted and young Bérenger is totally captivated by the young man and they become friends.


The Prisoner of the Bastille



 

Tristan explains: When Paris was liberated from the English, they locked up the people who were on the side of the English and Burgundians. The Constable of Richemont gave his word that these prisoners would be given safe conduct. Anyone who opposed this would be sentenced to death. Arnaud, who was present at the meeting, became irritated and did not understand.

... On his way to the Bastille with the other captains he suddenly saw his brother 'Michel's' assassin coming out, he lost his self-control, ran to the prisoner' and avenged his dead brother by stabbing him with a Montsalvy's dagger. He also wanted to kill the 'bishop of Beauvais' (formerly Cauchon), who was also responsible for the death of 'Joan of Arc', but the soldiers dissuaded him at the last moment and took him to the Bastille... There was only one thing left for her to do: to go to the Constable in person and explain why Arnaud had reacted like that...


 

Catherine figures that if Arnaud is in the Bastille, he cannot be contacted with the lies of Rodrigo Villandrando - the next day just before she is on her way to the Constable, to her delight, she finds herself confronted with a personage truly formidable. It is none other than 'Jean d'Orléans', Comte de Dunois, (the illegitimate son of Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans) a 'brother in arms of Arnaud and a good friend also to Catherine. He honored her with his presence to see the Constable 'Arthur de Richemont', who was also the godfather of her baby daughter Isabelle.


 

One is surprised to see the Countess of Montsalvy in the company of the Count of Dunois. Instead of bursting into tears, she approaches the Constable to inform him that her husband has left his town to fight for France, while Montsalvy was now under siege and she must fear for her life and that of her children and her inhabitants! She has come to ask Arnaud to return home to chase away Captain de Villandrando and his bandits.

At first, 'Arthur de Richemont' is obstinate. He has given his word and he will keep it, he replies. Other leading personalities get involved and the lord of Paris, 'Michel de Lallier', says that she is a noblewoman and does not understand what happened in Paris in 1413. To which Catherine angrily replied: "Before I became Catherine de Montsalvy, my name was Catherine Legoix, I was born in Paris, the daughter of a goldsmith, and as a child I saw my own cousin 'Guillaume Legoix' slaughter 'Michel de Montsalvy'!" De Lallier had now recognised her. He agreed that Arnaud should be released, but he wanted it noted, it was because of Catherine Legoix... The others present also voted for clemency. The Count of Dunois himself went to the Bastille.... but
..

The desperate Catherine




 

As people relaxed and waited for the 'Count of Dunois', who would surely arrive soon with Arnaud, the next blow was dealt to Catherine. Arnaud had escaped from the Bastille and killed some guards...! all was lost... He was now wanted dead or alive and could not escape execution... to Catherine's horror she knew that Rodrigo de Villandrando's plan had worked... the messenger 'Miguel' had reached Paris before them... Catherine, in despair, went back to to the Inn....

'

A desperate Catherine is visited by Tristan l'Hermite' in the evening. He finds her slightly drunk and inconsolable.
« One must always be there for Arnaud» , she weeps...
During the night, Catherine almost falls victim to an assassination attempt. Guillaume Legoix's widow, her cousin 'Bertha', has come to kill her with a gang of thugs. At the last moment, Catherine is saved by Gauthier de Chazay and Bérenger. Tristan, who arrives with the police, now discusses Catherine's situation. He insists that there is only one thing left to do: to ride to Chinon and ask King Charles VII for clemency for her husband. Gauthier asks take her into the Montsalvy household. Catherine is moved by his offer and she takes him on as her new squire...





 

When they arrive in Chinon, Catherine immediately goes to the king. 'Charles VII' is not happy to see her, again asking for mercy for her husband and refuses her request. But the young woman begs him on her knees and the king is almost touched by Catherine's misery... but then his young mistress, 'Agnès Sorel', enters the Hall and interferes... « A king must not show weakness if he wants to be a great king »... Charles VII instantly gets up and forgets Catherine de Montsalvy and her worries... He shamelessly embraces his young mistress and tells Catherine, irritated, she should return to Paris, now only the Constable could pardon Arnaud... and walks away.
   
Catherine decides to goes to the little chapel nearby and meets there the young dauphin 'Louis'. He recognises her and wants to know why she is crying. He becomes angry when the name of Agnès Sorel, whom he hates with all his heart, is mentioned. He tells Catherine to go to Tours where his wedding to 'Marguerite of Scotland' will soon take place. There,  he could grant a pardon because he is getting married...
In Tours, Catherine goes to the home of her old friend 'Jacques Coeur', who welcomes her warmly into his house, along with Bérenger and Gauthier.

But the wait for the wedding goes on for weeks, 'Jacques Coeur', who can no longer hide his feelings for Catherine, leaves for Bourges and waits for news. Catherine keeps asking herself: « where is Arnaud? What is happening at Montsalvy »? Had Villandrando's henchmen taken over the town?
One evening, Jacques Cœur returns with news from Montsalvy... It is 'Abbott Bernard' who writes to Catherine. They had survived the siege. Sire Arnaud's 'brothers-in-arms' came to their rescue and drove out the henchmen. There was still no trace of Arnaud, but it is believed that he is hiding in one of the caves in the Auvergne.. Catherine should go home to her children...

But Catherine's joy is short-lived. There is a second letter that has arrived in Montsalvy via Burgundy. The letter is from the Countess 'Ermengarde de Châteauvillain' who informs her that her mother 'Jacquette' is in her castle and that she is dying. If she wants to see her mother alive, she must hurry... For Catherine, it is obvious that she must fulfill her poor mother's last wish, who had been driven out of the house in Dijon by her uncle's mistress...


 

Jacques informs her that they will both go to the castle that evening, as 'Queen Yolande' had  arrived in the meantime at the Castle and wished to speak to Catherine.... Once announced, Catherine is taken to the queen who takes the young kneeling woman into  her arms. She shows deep compassion for her and says that she knows no one who deserves more to be able to live happily and peacefully at last... She knows everything because Jacques Cœur wrote her a long letter. She will see to it that Arnaud gets his pardon, but he will be made to wait a little - and of course he will have to go first to the King and kneel before returning to Montsalvy...

In the meantime, she would talk to her grandson, the dolphin and explain everything... and starts writing a safe conduct for Arnaud. Overwhelmed by the Queens grace, she asks how she can return the favour... The queen smiles and tells her that she would be grateful, if once in Dijon, to bring a letter to her son who was held prisoner in a tower by the 'Duke of Burgundy'! Catherine promises the queen that she will do everything possible to ensure that the letter reaches her son, 'King René'...

on the road to Châteauvillain...


 

After bidding farewell to Jacques Coeur, Catherine and the boys set off for Châteauvillain in the hope of finding Catherine's mother still alive. The road is dangerous, the countryside is devastated by roadmen, villages are burnt, corpses lie on the ground. Since there was supposed to be peace between France and Burgundy, the soldiers still attack the travelers and continue as before the war. It is desolation and famine. More than once, Catherine, her page and squire, manage to escape their attackers. As a result... the name of a certain 'Captain la Foudre 'and his band keeps coming up...


 

Shortly before Châteuvillain, they are discovered and captured and one of the bandits says that Captain La Foudre will be happy because he liked beautiful girls! Indignant, Catherine says that she is the Countess of Montsalvy and that they must let her go. But they laugh at her. On the way to the little town of Châteauvillain, the streets are littered with corpses... women raped... she has to close her eyes to see nothing more. They head to the church and enter... a man is being tortured and a woman abused... Catherine is so horrified and when the rapist turns around, she sees that Captain La Foudre is none other than 'Arnaud de Montsalvy'... her husband!
.... when he recognises his wife, he runs to her and insults her in the worst possible way... it is only when Catherine faints that he stops strangling her. Bérenger, his page, looks at his master, whom he worships so much, crying... when Arnaud wants to know who the other boy is, the latter replies:
« Gauthier de Chazay,
esquire in the service of the Countess of Montsalvy, may God preserve her from all evil and deliver her out of the hands of base cowards who dare to lay rough hands on her!’ »... whereupon Arnaud gave him a resounding slap!


 

Catherine states that Villandrando's treacherous plan has worked! Arnaud, still angry, is surprised that she knows about the letter... to which Catherine replies that they know everything and that he has fallen into a perfidious trap! He was not sentenced to death! She wishes her vassals would see their master tnow...! A murder-burner... the truth is that his town was besieged by the Spaniard Villandrando... the undergarment was stolen and the letter was forged by the lace-maker 'Azalaïs'. She shows him the abbot of Montsalvy's letter...
   Arnaud doesn't understand anything anymore and is wringing his hands. Catherine wants to know why he did not return to Montsalvy, but joined the 'Damoiseau'. He shouts:
« Because I believed everything that devious 'Miquel' said» ... Catherine asks him what has changed him so much... 'where was the noble knight of Joan of Arc? to which his face lights up with joy... he says he is still serving her because  Joan was not dead - he could not go home now, he must join Joan and the other knights... Catherine is completely irritated and thinks he has gone mad...
  But now 'Robert de Saarebrück', known as the Damoiseau, enters the scene. He says that the Duke of Burgundy has just arrived at the castle! Arnaud loses his temper ... Catherine tells him that her mother is dying in the castle and that is why she has come here in these dangerous times... but Arnaud is furious, spurred on by the Damoiseau and is convonced that she has come here to join her former lover Philippe of Burgundy...


 

Blinded by jealousy and because he knows deep down that he is in the wrong, Arnaud de Montsalvy rushes out and rides up to the castle of Châteavillain. He shouts the name of Philippe de Bourgogne and insults him... but the guards, besieged for weeks by Damoiseau's men, lare at first only watching - but one of them takes his crossbow and wounds Arnaud badly in the face. The seriously wounded man is brought in and everyone is surprised that he is not yet dead.

Catherine forgets her grief and disappointment at Arnaud's behaviour and asks Gauthier, who has studied medicine, if he could safe her husband... Reluctantly, the young man starts to remove the bolt from Arnaud's face... he has his doubts because the wound is in fact fatal... Robert de Saarebrück looks on and says that he should be left to die, ... that it is a waste of time... He sends for a priest to perform the final anointing......


 

The friar turns out to be Catherine's old friend Barnaby, who had become a monk years ago. When they are alone for a moment, he says that he and Countess Ermengarde have been waiting for her for quite some time. Catherine was now too late, her mother had died peacefully... Catherine bursts into tears, she would have liked so much to fulfil her mother's wish. But Robert de Sarrebrück takes her to another room where he orders her to write a letter to the Countess. Catherine refuses to betray her friend. But Robert coldly tells her that if she does not obey, they will put her page's feet in the fire... Catherine, horrified, has no other choice if she does not want the young boy to die a horrible death...Barnaby insists that Catherine, Gauthier and Bérenger must flee during the night.

Barnaby insists that they must strike him down and tie him up to avoid suspicion. He is sure they will not harm him and he will be able to watch over Arnaud. They must flee during the night...

Catherine does not want to leave Arnaud dying alone, but Barnaby urges her to leave. The page asks her if she can still love the lord after all he has done... to which Catherine replies: she has never loved anyone but him...



 

Sobbing, Catherine looks again towards the bed, at Arnaud who is in a deep state of unconsciousness - and they manage to get out of the window... but what is in store for them... ? ...

~~~~~~~~~~

Jacquette Legoix, widow of 'Gaucher Legoix', mother of Catherine (in the book also of Loyse) formerly of Burgundy, sister of Mathieu Gautherin, who lived her last days in the castle of Châteauvillain because the mistress of her brother, (for whom she had looked after the household for years) had driven her away...



Bérenger de Roquemaurel

Catherine de Montsalvy's page who joined the Montsalvy household at the age of fourteen. He accompanies his Lady to Paris and experiences many dangerous adventures together with his lady and his new friend the Gauthier de Chazay,




Gauthier de Chazay

A young Aristocrat, an orphan who was sent by his greedy uncle (who was after his fortune) to Paris to study at the University of Sorbonne. Catherine takes him into her service and he will become her faithful esquire. Since he had studied medicine, he will be able to save Catherine's life, on their search of Arnaud...



Le Damoiseau

Patrice Aleksandre in the role of 'Robert de Saarebrück' called 'Le Damoiseau' (the Dandy) ...




KING CHARLES VII OF FRANCE


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